Tools Up takes the manic multiplayer of Overcooked and gives it a DIY makeover. Instead of things getting heated in the kitchen, up to four players are instead renovating an apartment block floor by floor. You'll be laying down flooring, painting walls, moving furniture, and more as you aim to achieve three stars in each of the 30 levels. It sounds like hard work, but very simple controls mean you and your builder buddies will be making light work of each creative stage.
What complicates the game is the blueprint. Each flat contains one copy of the plan, and the player who picks it up can open it to see what needs to be done and can also rotate the view. It's an interesting idea, but in practice feels a bit cumbersome, and doesn't present information quite clearly enough. You'll get the gist, but the blueprint is at times more of a hindrance than a help.
Still, completing each room is satisfying, and working together to get everything done within the time limit is a great feeling. It doesn't have the same sense of urgency found in Overcooked, but this makes it a gentler, easier co-op title that introduces new elements at a slower pace. Tools Up has a more definitive structure; you figure out what needs doing, get everything done as quickly as possible, and then tidy up to end the level. You're still playing to a timer, but there's less pressure.
That it's a simpler co-op title than its peers is a double-edged sword. It's an incredibly accessible game, but the necessity to cooperate isn't as strong, and it may not hold your attention as much because there's less going on. Still, it's almost impossible to hate this easy-going effort.
Comments 1
I'm not really interested in this one but looking forward to Moving Out and Phogs.
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